Forbidden Fruit
by bellamione17
Summary: (Previously 'A First Encounter') Emma is caught while snooping in Regina's office and things take a very different turn from what Emma was expecting. Swan Queen. (disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon A TIme)
1. Chapter 1: A First Encounter

**_*This fic takes place about half way through season 1 when Emma finds out Regina has been stealing town funds. I thought it would be a good place to start._**

**_If this gets positive reviews I will continue the story but until then it will remain a oneshot*_**

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Foul… manipulative… wicked… and undoubtedly sexy…

All words that describe Regina Mills, and if anyone knew that for certain it was Emma Swan.

Emma had been spying on Regina for days and she hadn't found a single piece of evidence that would turn the town of Storybrooke against her. Maybe Sydney's find about the money wasn't enough… but it had to be. Emma was determined to take this bitch down, and now that she was sheriff she was confident in her ability to do exactly that.

Today was a particularly important day in Emma's investigations, as Regina had made specific plans to pick Henry up from school that afternoon, and that meant that Emma would have access to her office. Why Regina chose to do this? Emma was unsure. Perhaps she felt challenged by the blonde's ability to bond with Henry. Emma laughed to herself at this thought. It pleased her to know that the all-powerful Mayor Regina saw her as a personal threat.

Emma was suddenly brought from her thoughts back to reality by the sound of a stack of papers hitting the marble floor.

"Shit!" Emma swore under her breath. She looked around to make sure no one had heard her. What would be the point of having access to Regina's office if she were to be caught five minutes in?

The blonde bent down and began shoveling the fallen papers back into a pile, flipping through them and reading headings and labels as she did so.

Just as she prepared to stand up with the collected documents, her eyes met a pair of black heels. They were but a foot away from her. Emma swallowed hard as her eyes traced up from the shoes to Regina's glowering face.

"What a lovely surprise," Regina spoke fictitiously, snatching the stack of files out of Emma's hand. "If it isn't Ms. Swan."

The clicking of Regina's heels echoed as she stepped around Emma to the other side of her desk where she carefully placed the papers back in their original drawers.

Emma turned and began to tip toe out of the room as Regina finished sorting the documents.

"And where do you think you're going?" The mayor questioned, not bothering to look up as she spoke.

The blonde stopped in her tracks and turned around again to face her foe. "I was just, um…" her sentence trailed off and she began to walk faster towards the door as she noticed Regina suddenly speeding towards her.

"Ow!" Emma cried as Regina slammed her back against the wall, pinning her arms against it on either side of her body.

There was a moment of intense silence as the two women stared coldly into each other's eyes until all of a sudden, Regina pressed her lips to Emma's, grabbing onto the sides of her head so that she could not pull away.

"MMM! REGINA!" Emma struggled to push the woman off of her. "What the hell are you doing?! Are you _crazy_?!" Emma shouted, pulling away violently and flattening out her shirt with her hands. "You know I'm armed, right?" She gestured to the gun in her back pocket.

Regina grabbed Emma's shoulders and pinned her against the wall once again, focusing into her eyes with a look of passionate, insubordinate desire.

"You wouldn't shoot me," she spoke, her tone impish yet intriguingly playful.

Regina pressed her body to the blonde's so that their lips were just inches apart, her cold eyes practically staring directly into Emma's soul. "Come now, Emma, dear," she began. "Don't tell me you don't feel it too." Her eyes darted to the blonde's lips.

"Feel what?" Emma asked uncertainly.

The wicked one flashed a devilish grin, suddenly pressing her knee between Emma's legs and pulling them closer yet. Emma took in a sharp breath, watching, bewildered, as Regina wrapped her arms around her neck and began to scrunch her hair in her hands.

"I think you know _exactly _what I'm talking about."

Emma raised an eyebrow. She thought for a moment and then let out an exasperated sigh. "What is it that you want from me, Regina?"

"What do I want?" The other woman smiled her insidious smile; it was the kind of smile that made you both uncomfortable and extremely suspicious…the kind of smile that was so fake it was evil.

"I want _you_," she replied.

Regina once again pulled Emma's lips to her own.

"MMM!" Emma cried out again, struggling to break free, but Regina was persistent… and with each second that passed, Emma found herself becoming more and more enthralled in the kiss.

It was almost magical… the way all of her hatred for Regina was suddenly replaced with burning desire. It felt so wrong and yet so right.

"This is – crazy" Emma declared between kisses. "We – hate – each other."

"Oh, yes I _despise_ you, Emma. Regina breathed, moving down to kiss the blonde's neck as she spoke. "There is no doubt of that… but I have a deep… undeniable… desire for you… as well…" Regina suddenly placed her hands on Emma's breasts, looking into Emma's eyes and feeling her up through her fitted t-shirt.

Emma stared blankly at Regina for a long moment.

"Ok," she said finally. "I'm good with that." Emma realized she could not resist Regina, and to her own amazement, eagerly welcomed her delectable kisses.

"Mmmm," Regina murmured as she ran her warm tongue over Emma's neck, dampening the soft skin before sinking her teeth into it.

Emma closed her eyes and let out a soft moan as Regina sucked at the tender flesh of her neck, allowing her to slip her hands beneath her bra. Letting out another breathless moan, Emma wrapped her hands around Regina's waist and pulled her closer, earning her a playful growl from the brunette.

In that moment, Emma had a sudden desire… a desire that she had been repressing since the moment she met Regina, and she acted on this desire.

"Come on," Emma spoke zestfully, guiding Regina to the long couch on the other side of her office. She pushed the brunette onto the couch and climbed on top of her, finding that she was eager to please her. Emma leaned in to kiss Regina and unbuttoned her blouse enough so that she could get her hands inside and unhook her bra.

Emma fixed her eyes hungrily on Regina's magnificent breasts, taking in every inch of the smooth, creamy skin with her hands and tweaking hardened nipples between her fingers.

Regina's eyes fluttered shut and her lips parted as Emma took one of her pink nipples in her mouth, letting her tongue dance over the tender skin as she traced patterns up and down her inner thigh with her fingers. Finally reaching the place Regina longed for her to touch, she began stroking her through the fabric of her panties.

Regina moaned into the kiss, her breathing becoming shallow and uneven. As Emma's fingers continued to tease her, Regina began to lose control. "P-please…" she begged after a few minutes teasing. "I-I can't take it. I want you… right now." Her voice was desperate and breathless.

A smile broke out on Emma's face. "I can do that," she grinned.

Emma pushed Regina's skirt further up her thighs to allow her greater access to what she desired. Reaching for her panties, she pulled the fabric down her legs, allowing Regina to kick the garment onto the floor when it reached her feet.

"Oh, _god_," Regina moaned when Emma began to stroke her once again, feeling how wet she was. This caused Emma a great deal of pleasure, feeding into her own wetness. Just then, Emma delved two fingers into Regina.

"OHH!" she cried, arching her back as Emma's fingers pressed into her g-spot.

Emma pushed into her again, this time with more force, starting a rhythm. She felt Regina's body quivering beneath her touch as she leaned in to kiss her luscious lips.

Regina's moans grew longer and louder as Emma picked up her pace. It wasn't long before she could feel her walls tightening around her fingers.

"Oh, god, Em-Emma, I'm so – close." Regina panted as she felt her climax growing dangerously nearer.

A wide smirk spread across Emma's face and she slipped a third finger into Regina, successfully sending her crashing over the edge.

"Oh, YES! God, Emma, YES!" Regina cried out, her eyes shut tight and her body quaking as her orgasm shot through every nerve in her body, her fingernails tearing through the fabric of the couch. It was absolutely mind blowing.

Emma continued to work her fingers inside her until she felt her orgasm had completely subsided. She then licked them clean, allowing Regina to enjoy her afterglow.

The blonde leaned in and kissed Regina softly on the lips, leaning in close to her ear and whispering, "You taste fantastic."

Regina bit her lip and smiled; her eyes were still closed.

Just as Emma was about to lay back and relax, Regina was suddenly tackling her and pinning her down on the couch.

"You're turn," she smirked.

Emma raised an eyebrow and spread herself out on the couch. "Gimme all you got," she winked

Regina laughed excitedly, reaching down with her hands to unbuckle Emma's belt. The metal buckle of the belt hit the floor with a _clank_. Emma bit her lip excitedly as she watched Regina unbutton her jeans and begin to slide them down, revealing her black thong.

Regina scooted back and lowered her head in between Emma's spread legs, pushing her hair out of her face before grabbing onto the fabric with her teeth. She slowly pulled the fabric all the way down her body until it had joined her belt and jeans on the floor.

Regina looked up at Emma from between her legs.

"Ready?"

Emma looked down at Regina. "Oh yeah," she replied eagerly.

Emma threw her head back and let out a moan as she felt Regina's tongue make first contact with her core. The sensation was unbelievable. Admittedly it had been a long time since she'd had sex, but she was sure this was pleasure she'd never experienced with anyone before.

All of a sudden there was a knock on the door.

Both women were completely still for a moment. Then the knock came again.

"Oh, shit!" Regina said under her breath, gathering Emma's clothes frantically and throwing them to her.

"Quick, hide!" she whispered to her as she hastily fixed her hair and blouse.

"Just a minute," she called as she stepped into her shoes and speed walked towards the door.

"Henry, I thought I told you to wait outside," Regina said to the boy standing in the now open doorway.

Henry looked up at his mother. "But you were taking so long," he exclaimed.

"I had some very important papers to file. We'll go in a minute."

"Oh, ok." Henry pushed past Regina and entered the office. He put his backpack down on the couch where Emma and Regina had just been.

Regina returned to her desk, pretending to be busy filing.

"Mom...?" Henry asked suddenly.

"Hm?" Regina replied, not bothering to look up.

"Why do you have ladies underwear on your floor?"

Regina instantly slammed the drawer shut, nearly tripping over her own feet and she ran to snatch the black thong out of Henry's hand.

"You know what? I have just a few more things I need to do and then we'll be done here. Now off you go." She turned Henry around by his shoulders and patted his behind, pushing him softly towards the exit. "I'll be out in a minute and we'll go have dinner.

"Ok, but—"

"Love you!" Regina called, shutting the door behind him.

Emma stumbled out of a closet door still half dressed.

Regina ran over to her, handing her the thong. "We'll finish this another time," she said in a low tone. "But for now I have to go. Oh and don't leave your damn thong on the floor next time."

And with that, she sped out of the room, closing the door behind and her leaving Emma alone in the empty office. Emma walked over to the couch and sat down, saying to herself out loud:

"What the hell just happened?"


	2. Chapter 2: A Night with Mayor Mills

**_I must announce that because this story is no longer a one-shot I will be changing the name. I will inform you all of the name change before I change it. Thanks for the support I love you guys :D I'm planning on making this a solid story that I will continue for a while so I hope you will all continue to read it. Prepare for lots of feels! ^-^_**

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"Good morning!"

Emma jumped, a bit of coffee spilling out of her mug.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Mary Margaret spoke, lightly touching Emma's shoulder. "I didn't mean to startle you."

"Mm, s'ok," Emma slurred, her mouth full of cereal. Her knuckles were white as she gripped the spoon with unnecessary force.

Mary Margaret's slippers tapped lightly on the floor as she crossed the room to the counter to pour herself a cup of coffee. She was more of a tea drinker, but she felt that this morning she needed the buzz.

"Do you mind?" she asked, motioning to the half-empty pot.

"No, help yourself," replied Emma who was still chewing. She swallowed by the time Mary Margaret sat down across from her at the table, pulling the blanket she had wrapped around herself further up her shoulders.

Mary Margaret sipped quietly from her mug as she watched Emma shovel spoonfuls of cereal into her mouth.

"Are you in a hurry?" she laughed lightly.

Emma took a moment to swallow before speaking. "Just getting an early start," she spoke. The blonde craned her neck to look at the clock on the wall behind her.

Emma knew that she had no reason to hurry, but she was feeling rather frantic this morning. She was trying to distract herself from what was troubling her, and the trouble was Regina.

Mary Margaret covered her mouth with her hands. "What happened to your neck?" Her voice had dropped to a loud whisper.

_Oh, shit!_ Emma nearly said out loud. Realizing that Regina must have left her mark on her, her hand flew to her neck to cover the purple patches of skin.

"Oh, um, it's nothing!" she lied, standing abruptly and picking up her half empty cereal bowl. "Some weird rash I think." She paced quickly over to the sink and dropped her dishes into it. The metal spoon clanked loudly against the bowl.

"I should get going," Emma said suddenly. She grabbed her badge off the table and pinned it to her belt. "Have a nice day."

"Um, all right?" Mary Margaret smiled weakly, watching, confused, as Emma strolled backwards out of the room.

Stepping out into the chill morning air, Emma pulled her knit hat over her head and zipped up her jacket. Since it was only 7am she figured she might as well stop at Granny's and maybe read the paper before heading down to the Sherriff's station.

After a short walk through the cold she pulled open the front door to Granny's and shut it tight behind her. Waving half-heartedly at David by the counter before grabbing a fresh newspaper and taking a seat in an empty booth.

"Oh, Emma! Miss Swan! I have something for you!"

Emma heard Granny's voice calling her and looked up to see the old woman waving her over from behind the counter. The blonde sighed and stood up, folding back the paper and leaving it at her seat.

"And what can I help you with, Granny?" she asked when she reached the counter.

Looking flustered, the old woman patted her pockets front and back before pulling out a folded piece of paper and handing it to Emma.

Emma raised her eyebrows suspiciously and her eyes squinted. "What's this?"

"A note from the Mayor." Granny's smile faded a bit at the mention of Regina. "I have no idea what it says of course but I was instructed to give it to you and only you."

Emma looked confused. "Oh, um… Thanks," she replied awkwardly, grabbing a donut from a tray on the counter and returning to her seat.

She pushed the newspaper aside and opened the note. It read:

10:00pm

Be discreet

"Well that's real specific," Emma muttered sarcastically, shoving the note in her back pocket. Her expression changed however when she realized what this meant. Regina wanted her to come to her house that night to finish what they had started the day before.

Emma's stomach did a full somersault. She wasn't sure if she was excited, or scared. Maybe it was a mixture of both? No! She couldn't be scared. Emma Swan did not get scared. But… she was.

The day dragged on. Emma tried to keep herself as busy as possible but she couldn't get Regina out of her head. Not only was she thoroughly confused about her feelings, but she also wondered, worriedly, whether the mayor had more sinister motives…

But that one moment kept replaying in her mind. "_I want you._" She heard Regina's words over and over again in her head. She would have known if she was lying… wouldn't she? Why, then, did she have this horrible sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach?

Maybe this was the emotional wall Mary Margaret had spoken of. The very one she had taken for Graham weeks before.

Graham… Emma's heart sank at the thought of him. He had died so suddenly. She knew though, that it would be better to move on… and she knew that there wasn't a power in this world great enough to bring him back.

Emma stayed late at the station, but there wasn't nearly enough for her to do and she quickly became bored as a result. She had thought all day about going to see Henry but the idea of running into Regina reduced her to a puddle of anxiety.

Emma pulled her hand out of a bag of chips and wiped her hand on her jeans, glancing at the clock for the millionth time. It was nine fifteen. Still forty-five minutes to go until her 'appointment' with Regina. Letting out a long sigh, she decided she'd get going now and take the long way there.

It was colder out than she expected it to be, but then again she wasn't sure what she had been expecting. It was nearly winter and the sun had set hours ago, revealing the vast array of bright stars against the black sky. Emma made her way down the vacant streets, walking along the edge of the forest before finally making it to the Mayor's house. She glanced at her watch. It was nine forty-five; she was still early.

She couldn't believe she was doing this. She couldn't believe she was doing the exact thing that she had criticized Graham for doing, but there was something pulling her.

The blonde climbed over the low fence in front of the house, not wanting to use the gate in case it made noise, and looked around the yard for a secluded place to wait until she could enter. She decided to lean against a shady tree just left of the front door.

She stood there poking at the ground with her foot for about five minutes before a ray of light suddenly washed over her.

She looked up to see Regina standing in the partially open doorway with her hands on her hips. She wore a black nightdress. "You know you can come in, right?" she laughed, her tone a bit mocking.

Emma looked stunned. "Oh, uh, o-ok." She stammered.

She stepped onto the front stoop and slid past Regina, entering the well-lit foyer. Regina shut the door behind them. She then surprised Emma by pushing her up against the door. She leaned in and kissed her passionately, biting the blonde's lower lip as she pulled away. She then brought her lips close to Emma's ear and whispered, "I've been waiting all day for this."

Emma swallowed hard and Regina instantly read her body language.

"Why so tense?" she breathed, spinning Emma around and placing her hands on her shoulders. "Re_lax_."

Emma felt her muscles relax as Regina began massaging her shoulders.

"I'm going to take care of _everything_," she whispered, a smirk spreading across her face.

Emma whimpered softly as Regina pressed her body against the her back and slid her arms between hers,reaching around the front of her body to caress her soft breasts.

"Henry." Emma breathed. "Is he asleep?"

"Yes, for half an hour," Regina returned. "Now stop worrying and let's have some fun."

Regina led Emma up the stairs and into the master bedroom where she laid her down on the bed.

"I'm so glad you came," Regina spoke as she unbuckled Emma's belt and began to tug her pants off.

Emma was still wide eyed and looked very nervous. "I wasn't going to at first…" she said quietly.

"But you did."

"I did didn't I?" she laughed lightly, and in that moment, for the first time since she had entered the house, she really looked at Regina. She studied her face and her figure. She looked deep into her features, her eyes tracing every curve of her body… and before she knew it, it was back. That feeling.

Her stomach began to fill with butterflies as she gazed up at the brunette from the bed. Whether it was lust or love she didn't know, but it was as if every good feeling she ever had about Regina, repressed or not, suddenly rose to the surface.

The butterflies, however, exploded into intense arousal at the sight of what now stood before her.

Regina had taken a few steps back and with a quick slip of the straps, her nightdress had fallen to her feet, revealing rather tantalizing lingerie.

Emma's mouth was watering.

"You like?" Regina asked, doing a little twirl, her white teeth sparkling in her mischievous grin.

Rather than responding, Emma jumped up off the bed and tackled Regina, kissing her with every ounce of passion she was feeling. She felt stupid for having been so nervous.

The blonde reached down and tugged at Regina's garter straps, trying to pull them off, but Regina seized her hand.

"Ah, ah, ah," she teased, waving a finger in front of Emma. "No touching."

"Aww!" Emma whined. "But, but-"

"I believe I made it clear whose turn it was," she growled. The light caught the dent of the small scar tracing from her upper lip as she snarled playfully.

The breath hitched in Emma's throat and she bit her lip, raising one of her expressive eyebrows in her distress. "Right," she agreed.

Emma yelped suddenly as Regina swept her off her feet and picked her up bridal style, tossing her onto the bed. Her eyes followed the alluring, shadowy movements of Regina's defined shoulder blades as she prowled towards her across the bed linens. Watching closely as the brunette picked up her legs and threw them over her shoulders, Emma felt the anticipation swelling inside her.

The sensation of Regina's tongue meeting her core sent a licentious shock all the way to her fingertips. The perfectly timed strokes and flicks of Regina's tongue filled Emma with pleasure she could have never imagined, and although she was not usually too vocal, she couldn't prevent the fremescent moans from escaping her as she quivered beneath the touch of this voluptuous woman.

"You've done this – before, haven't you?" Emma gasped.

"Mhm," Regina murmured. She lifted her head just enough to speak. "Have you?"

"Only once," she replied. "In –_gasp—_ incollege." She felt the vibrations of Regina chuckling against her.

Perfectly manicured fingernails dug hard into Emma's thighs. She felt them trace down her leg and then back up again. Emma was in pleasure overload. _God! _Where did Regina learn to do this so well?

She threw her head back and closed her eyes, her hands balling into fists and her breath hitching again in her throat as Regina's tongue applied more pressure to her core.

Minutes of gasps, moans, and labored breathing passed before Emma reached her climax. She cried out in a silent scream of pleasure, as her whole body seemed to ignite into an impassioned, fervid flame of ecstasy.

Panting, Emma fell limp against Regina who pushed her legs off of her shoulders and climbed on top of her, kissing her softly on the mouth before flopping down on the bed beside her. She, too, was breathless.

Emma lay sprawled out on the bed, her eyes still closed and her lips parted as she caught her breath. When she opened her eyes at last, she was surprised to find Regina gazing wistfully at her. She smiled weakly.

Regina scooted closer to Emma and rested her head on her shoulder. "How'd I do?" she asked with a grin.

Emma closed her eyes once again and let out a long, happy sigh. "So good," she breathed. "Holy fuck."

The brunette leaned in and kissed the blonde on the cheek. Emma's cheeks turned pink and a small giggle escaped her lips, causing her to blush twice as hard. She had never seen Regina like this with anyone, let alone her, but it was something she could get used to, she thought.

Regina nuzzled her face into Emma's neck and Emma rested her head on Regina's, and they laid there for a while, just the two of them, snuggled together on the Mayor's bed, until they both drifted off to sleep.

Sometime later, Emma stirred suddenly.

"Mmm… what's wrong?" Regina groaned, half asleep, but Emma was already out of bed.

Regina pulled herself into a sitting position and brushed the mess of hair out of her face, squinting in the darkness to make out Emma's figure.

Her eyes adjusted. "Emma, what are you doing?" she asked groggily.

Emma was struggling to wiggle into her jeans as quickly as possible. "Mary Margaret," she spoke. "She'll notice if I'm not there at breakfast." She glanced at the digital clock on Regina's bedside table. It was 2:15am.

"Wait, don't go," Regina pleaded, watching apprehensively as Emma collected the remainder of her clothing.

Emma stopped and turned to Regina. "I'm sorry," she said genuinely. "But I have to go."

She turned and paced towards the window, pulling it open and positioning her foot on the ledge. There was a moment that she was reminded of Graham, but she pushed the thought away and climbed out the window, leaving Regina alone in her bed.

She never thought she could feel so lonely.

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_There you have it ^-^ Look for the new chapter soon!_

_If you'd like to bitch at me about not updating my other fanfiction, you can find me at ( mrs - - lovett . tumblr . com )_

_Thank you for the fabulous feedback! :D_


	3. Chapter 3: Doing What's Right

_***__**I am officially changing the name of this fanfic to 'Forbidden Fruit'. I will be changing it with the next update*** **__and don't worry guys I want Regina to be happy too._

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Mary Margaret reached across the booth and pushed the newspaper Emma's face was buried in down to the table.

"Hi!" she said cheerfully.

"What the— _Jesus_, Mary Margaret you scared the shit out of me!" Emma jumped.

"Oh! I'm sorry!" the pixie haired teacher cried, laughing lightly. "I just keep scaring you don't I?"

Emma laughed. "It's ok I just didn't hear you sit down."

Mary Margaret smiled and nodded, pulling the beige shall from her shoulders and setting it down beside her. She glanced at the open newspaper.

"Anything good?" she asked while rummaged through her purse for chap stick. She quickly found some and popped the cap off.

"Not really," Emma returned, pushing the paper towards Mary Margaret. "I'm telling you, The Mirror has gone downhill since Regina fired Sidney. Soon enough she'll have to realize they need him for business."

Mary Margaret finished applying her chap stick and picked up the paper, scanning the first couple of pages. "I think you're right," she reported after a minute, folding it neatly and placing it back down on the table.

She spotted Ruby wiping down a booth on the other side of the diner and called to her.

The young waitress stopped scrubbing and looked up. "What?" she called back, taking a wad of gum from her mouth and flicking it at the trash bin.

"Could you bring me some tea when you get the chance?" Mary Margaret called.

"Uh, yeah, sure. What kind?" asked Ruby, pulling out her note pad and pen.

"Whatever you've got." Mary Margaret smiled. She turned to Emma and asked her if she wanted anything. Emma replied with a shake of her head and Mary Margaret gestured to Ruby that Emma did not want anything.

The teacher then turned on the spot and slapped her hands down on the table, focusing on Emma.

"Speaking of Regina," she began, looking excited. "How did things go with you and her?"

"_What?_" Emma nearly choked.

Mary Margaret was clearly startled. "The… investigation," she continued slowly. "You know, operation 'show the town the monster their mayor is'? You and Sidney… finding information?"

"Oh!" Emma exclaimed, letting all the air out of her lungs in a sigh of relief.

"What did you think I meant?" Mary Margaret asked suspiciously.

Emma tried to swallow her nerves. "It's nothing," she said simply, putting her hands in her lap. She hadn't told anyone about what had happened between her and Regina, and although she trusted Mary Margaret more than anyone, she couldn't risk telling her their secret… at least not yet.

"Are you sure?" She looked Emma straight in the eyes. "You've been acting strange for days. Why won't you tell me what's up?"

"Really, I'm fine." Emma said calmly.

Mary Margaret sighed unhappily but accepted her answer. "Well, anyway," she continued again. "You got into her office the other day, right? What did you find? Anything you can use against her?"

Emma thought back to her encounter with Regina in her office. She remembered the way the brunette's body felt pressed up against her own… the way her lips tasted of freshly picked apples… the way she begged for her touch… pleaded, even. She especially remembered the way she smiled when they kissed. It was the first smile she'd ever seen on Regina that didn't look forced or fake. She wondered if what she had seen was genuine happiness.

"Emma, Emma! Snap out of it!"

Emma suddenly realized that Mary Margaret was calling her name. She shook her head vigorously to bring herself out of her daydream. "Oh! Sorry, I – uhh, I was just…" her sentence trailed off.

"I have to go, she said suddenly, sliding out of the booth and standing abruptly. She grabbed her coat and sped straight out the door, leaving Mary Margaret alone and confused.

Emma thought all day long about Regina. Through all of her daily routines and checks she battled with her inner most thoughts.

On one hand, she felt that this was her chance to fulfill the long repressed desires she felt towards Regina. But on the other hand this was dangerous territory. No matter how much fun they had together the evidence showed that Regina was cold hearted and cruel with a lack of compassion for others, and Emma always trusted solid evidence. She didn't want her heart broken. Not again.

However, Emma was not the only one thinking this way. Meanwhile, Regina was having her own feelings about the relationship, though she was expressing it differently.

The mayor paced back and forth across the marble floor of her office.

"She just… she gives me this feeling. This… sensation. I don't know what it is. It's almost as if she… weakens me." Regina spoke as she paced.

"I've never felt this way about a person before. Well, perhaps I have…" she thought. "No," she decided. "This is different. God, she just… AHG!"

She sat down abruptly on one of the chairs across from the fireplace and then stood up again.

"What am I meant to do? When I see her, I practically melt. I just want to do everything to her. But this can't really be smart can it? So is it worth it? Well, of course it's worth it, but I mean…" she gave up on the sentence. "They say keep your friends close and your enemies closer, but this close? What if she's just trying to weaken me so she can try and get rid of me once and for all?" Her features became angry, but changed when she remembered she had been the one to come on to Emma.

"But she's so… passionate!" Regina broke out, collapsing into the chair again. "Have you ever felt this way about someone? Wait never mind I don't care," she gestured. "I just can't seem to get enough of her though. Her creamy white skin… her perfect lips. My _god _and the _SOUNDS _she makes. I've never heard anything so sexy in my life."

There was a long silence. Mary Margaret sat opposite Regina, looking completely traumatized.

"And… _why _are you telling me all this?" she questioned at last.

Regina gestured casually. "Oh come on, we're friends, right?"

There was another silence. "Since _when_?!" Mary Margaret cried, gesturing wildly.

Regina pursed her lips. Her features became tighter and she cleared her throat, flattening her pencil skirt with her perfectly manicured hands.

"Fine then," she said coldly, looking away from Mary Margaret. "I see how it's going to be." She gestured towards the door. "You may leave, Ms. Blanchard."

Mary Margaret stood stiffly, taking a step to the side and quickly exiting the room, looking wide eyed and confused. She now understood why Emma had been acting so strange, but she decided it would be best to wait for Emma to tell her on her own, whenever that may be. But for now, it was between her and Regina.

Back at the station, Emma had come to the conclusion that she needed to do what she thought was best for her. Avoiding Regina wasn't the right thing to do, she needed to confront her, but for now all she wanted to do was sleep. It was very late and she needed to get home.

Emma collected her things and stepped out into the street, closing the station door tight behind her. It was but a minute later that she was startled by the sensation of hands covering her mouth from behind.

"MMM!" she cried out, whipping her gun out of her pocket and elbowing her captor in the face.

"Ow!" The voice was familiar.

"Regina!" Emma cried, dropping her gun. "I'm so sorry I didn't realize it was you!"

"It's fine," the mayor replied. "I admit that was not one of my brighter ideas."

"What are you doing here so late?" Emma asked while she tucked her gun back into her belt.

Regina grabbed Emma and kissed her on the lips. "I missed you," she spoke. "Why have you been avoiding me?" She leaned in to kiss her again but Emma pulled away.

Regina looked hurt. "What's wrong?"

Emma sighed deeply. "Listen, Regina…" she started. "This has been really fun and all, but I think it would be better if we didn't keep seeing each other…"

Regina took a few steps back. Emma could see that she was trying to look angry but her lower lip was trembling.

"I'm sorry," Emma said apologetically, taking a step towards her. "It's just that…" she sighed again. "It's just that the more time I spend with you the more I'm going to feel for you, and I can't let myself be the one who gets hurt when you're tired of me and ready to just throw me away. I can't be your replacement Graham, Regina. It's not fair to me."

A single tear trickled down Regina's face. She was crying. Emma couldn't believe it. There was a long silence between the two of them.

"Regina, I-" Emma started to speak but Regina turned and ran. She felt light raindrops beginning to fall as she watched the brunette flee into the darkness.

"I'm sorry…" Emma said softly.

The sheriff walked slowly back to her car, her head hanging. She hadn't expected Regina to cry like that. If anything she had expected to get hit.

The rain started coming down hard as Emma reached her car. She climbed in the front seat and turned on the windshield wipers. She could feel the tears welling up in her eyes but she blinked them back to the best of her ability. She promised herself she wouldn't cry. Not this time. The Emma they knew it Storybrooke was tough. She couldn't let herself become vulnerable again, and this was the only way. Besides, if Regina didn't love her, what was the point.

Emma had only driven two blocks when she spotted Regina sitting on the curb with her head in her hands. It was pouring now and she was clearly drenched. The blonde pulled up to her and rolled down the window.

"Regina?" she spoke quietly.

Regina turned her head away and buried her face further in her hands, not wanting to be seen in her current state.

"Regina…" Emma spoke again. "Let me drive you home. It's pouring, you'll get sick."

The mayor waited several seconds before finally standing up and entering the car. For the first time in her life, Regina Mills had nothing to say. The only sounds breaking the heavy silence between them were the pitter-patter of raindrops on the car roof and the sound of Regina's soft sobs, muffled by her hands.

Emma glanced at the mayor with eyes full of pain and guilt. She had never seen her so broken. Despite their differences, Regina was the strongest woman she'd ever met. It was hard for her to admit but she was even stronger than Emma herself. Seeing her like this made her realize for the first time that Regina was fragile. It was a secret she kept well, though, for Emma was sure she was the first one to see this side of her.

They approached the mayor's house and Emma went around the car to open the passenger side door. She guided Regina carefully into the house and up the stairs to her bedroom, where she found a towel and some dry clothes.

"You'll feel better once you're all dried off." Emma spoke, handing her the towel.

Regina reached for the towel with a shaky hand and placed it on the bed beside her. It wasn't until now that she made eye contact with Emma.

Emma was speechless. She just stared blankly into the tear filled eyes of the woman before her. She could feel her heart breaking with every second that she stood there.

"I guess I'll… leave you to change then," Emma said at last, finally deciding it would be better if she left. And with that, she was gone, leaving Regina alone once again.

Still in her soaked work suit, the brunette fell onto her side and reached for a pillow. She wrapped her arms around it and hugged it tight, burying her face in it to muffle her sobs.

She was angry with Emma for breaking her heart, but more than that she was angry with herself. Angry with herself for letting Emma see her like this. She never let anyone see her cry. What would be the point of having power if everyone knew how delicate she truly was? No one would fear her.

She didn't know why or how, but Emma had been the first person to make her truly happy in what felt decades… and now, yet again, she had lost her only chance at happiness.

Maybe she had been right all along. Maybe there really were no happy endings…


	4. Chapter 4: Because I Love You

_Thank you for the continued support guys! I love each and every one of you! I actually cried writing this :P I hope you all enjoy it 3_

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Emma awoke to the same horrible emptiness she had hoped to leave behind the night before… or rather twenty minutes ago when she had last woken from her restless sleep.

It was cold and it had rained for the majority of the night, leaving everything with a damp and rather unpleasant feeling. The sun had just barely peaked over the horizon and the cheerful chirps of the early morning birds broke the silence that otherwise remained.

Finally accepting the fact that she was not going to get any sleep, Emma dragged herself out of bed and into the kitchen, not bothering to open the blinds—as the darkness somewhat mirrored her current state of being.

The blonde opened the fridge and pulled out a package of pepperoni. She heard the sound of the door scraping the wood floor and felt a cold draft.

"Good morning," Mary Margaret chimed as she shut the door behind her.

"Morning," Emma mumbled.

The pixie-haired teacher heaved a large, brown paper bag full of groceries onto the counter and collapsed into a chair.

"You went to the store this early?" asked Emma. "What time is it?"

Mary Margaret yawned, excusing herself before speaking. "I know it's early but I couldn't sleep."

"Tell me about it," replied Emma. "Hey did you get whipped cream?" she asked, rummaging through the bag.

"Mhm."

"Sweet." Emma shook the can and popped the cap, turning it upside down to squirt some onto her slice of pepperoni.

Mary Margaret looked repulsed. "Did you just put whipped cream on your pepperoni?"

Emma nodded.

"_Why!? _I didn't even think you ate pepperoni!"

"Neither did I," Emma said with a shrug.

Mary Margaret shook it off and aloud herself to change the subject. "Hey, so, are you ok?" she asked. "You looked pretty rough when you got in last night."

Emma's heart sank. She felt bad for leaving her best friend in the dark about everything that had been going on. If things were really over between her and Regina, now was the time to come clean.

"Well… no, actually," Emma began with a reluctant sigh, "there's been a lot going on between me and Regina. You see, I-"

"You slept with her, I know." Mary Margaret interrupted, wanting to spare Emma the pain of admitting to her affairs with Regina.

Emma looked stunned. "You _knew_?"

"Only since yesterday afternoon," the teacher replied quickly. "She told me."

"_She? _You mean _Regina _told you_?_ Why the hell would she do that?"

Mary Margaret shrugged. "I'm just as lost as you are."

"Well, anyway," Emma continued. "I… I told her we couldn't see each other anymore."

"…You did?" Mary Margaret's voice dropped, her expression becoming very grim.

Fear struck Emma hard in her stomach. "I didn't want to be used!" she spoke defensively. "Not like Graham."

"Emma…" Mary Margaret replied gravely. "She wasn't using you… she loves you."

Emma's heart dropped to her feet. "She… she… what?"

The young brunette placed a hand on the blonde's shoulder. "She loves you, sweetheart. More than she can understand herself." She looked down momentarily, thinking. "I think that's why she came to me."

Emma tried to speak but she choked on her words.

"You really didn't know she loved you?" Mary Margaret asked in a hushed tone.

Emma shook her head, her expression blank.

Mary Margaret gently guided Emma into a chair and sat down beside her. "Listen, sweetheart," she started. "I really have to get to school, it's almost eight, but I promise I'll come see you at lunch time and we can talk about it then. Will you be ok while I'm gone?"

She nodded.

Mary Margaret pulled the blonde into a hug and told her she was sorry before leaving.

Now alone, Emma felt the silence closing in on her. She stared down at her hands in disbelief of what had become of the situation. Mary Margaret's words repeated over and over again in her head. "_She loves you._" Could it really be true? It had to be, Mary Margaret could never lie to her.

She suddenly realized what she had to do. "Regina," she aloud, standing abruptly.

By the time Emma was dressed and out the door it was nearly 8:15. Even though the car was faster, she figured she'd walk to the mayor's house, seeing as she needed the fresh air. She needed time to think before speaking to Regina.

A few blocks down the road, Emma heard a young boy calling her name. She turned to see Henry standing on the other side of the road with his backpack and lunch box. The sheriff could see the boy's face light up into a smile as he ran across the street to meet her.

"Henry!" Emma spoke in surprise. "What are you doing out here? Why aren't you in school?"

"I missed the bus," he replied.

Emma put her hands on her hips. "Doesn't your mother usually drive you to school?"

Henry's smile faded a bit. "She… she wouldn't get out of bed this morning… She told me to take the bus but I was too late."

Emma's stomach churned. "Why wouldn't she get out of bed?"

"I don't know… I think she's sad."

The blonde pulled the young boy into a hug before bending down to put her hands on his shoulders. "How about this?" she proposed. "How about I walk you to school and then I go check on your mom? That sound good?"

Henry nodded, his smiled returning as they began walking.

"I'm glad you and my mom are finally getting along." Henry said after a moment.

Emma stopped briefly. "What makes you say that?"

"Because you two had sex together."

"What? How did— Because we—Who told you that?!" Emma stuttered, bewildered by his response.

Henry laughed. "No one. I heard you."

Emma's face turned bright red. "You… you did? Jesus everyone knows don't they…"

"It's ok, Emma," he said. "I'm happy for you."

Emma's eyes darted away. "Let's uh… Let's just get you to school ok, kid?"

Knowing Henry was safe in the hands of his teacher Mary Margaret, Emma rushed up to the front door of the mayor's house and pushed it open, sliding inside.

"Regina?" she called, leaning against the wall to catch her breath.

No answer.

She climbed the stairs two at a time and raced down the hall, barging through the last door at the end of the hall to find Regina sitting on the edge of the bed. The contents of an entire pill bottle had been emptied into her hand.

"Regina! Oh my god what are you doing?!" Emma ran over to her and took the pills from her. "Are you crazy? You can't do this!" She cried.

The brunette stared at Emma for a brief moment. Her cheeks were stained with last night's eye makeup and her eyes were red from crying. It was then that the mayor dissolved into tears, collapsing into the blonde's arms.

Emma was surprised. "Shhh," she soothed, holding Regina close to her. "It's ok." She stroked her hair softly as the brunette sobbed against her chest.

Emma held out the handful of pills. "Regina… why would you do this?" Emma tried hard to blink back her own tears as she asked this question.

The mayor looked sorrowfully into Emma's eyes, barely able to speak. "Because I lost my one chance at happiness," she sobbed. "I'm done fighting for something I can't have. There's no point in living if I'll never be happy… if— if no one will ever love me."

"But you _can_ be happy," Emma spoke, wiping tears from her cheek.

"How?"

Emma gently lifted Regina's chin and kissed her lips. "Because I love you," she cried, tears now streaming down her face.

Regina looked up at Emma. For the first time, there was a glimmer of hope in her eyes. "You do?" she whispered.

"Yes!" Emma declared. She kissed her again. "I was wrong to leave you, Regina. I was stupid, but I just didn't want to get hurt again… I'm so sorry."

Regina nuzzled her face between Emma's neck and shoulder and burst into tears once again. "I love you too," she cried.

Emma lifted Regina's head so that they were eye to eye. "You're not going to lose me," she exclaimed, her lip trembling. "But you have to promise me you'll never do anything like this again," she gestured to the pills, "because… _I_ don't want to lose _you_. You're stronger than this. I know you are."

Regina closed her eyes and nodded strenuously, allowing Emma to embrace her. Hugs weren't something she was used to, but the feeling of Emma's arms wrapped around her filled her with warmth, and she felt herself beginning to smile through her tears.

It was in that moment that something changed inside Regina Mills. It was almost as if a missing piece of her heart had been filled. It was… beautiful. The best feeling she'd ever felt. _This_ was what love was supposed to feel like.


End file.
